Why is it important to know about schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that can involve breaks with reality. The mental illness, which affects 2.4 million adults in the U.S., disrupts people’s thought processes and ability to function day to day. Untreated, schizophrenia impairs people’s ability to manage their emotions and coexist with others.

Why is schizophrenia an important issue?

Schizophrenia is a devastating illness with an early onset and substantial disability from its outset. Schizophrenia shortens the lifespan of people affected by the illness by at least 20 years. The cause of schizophrenia is not known and current treatments for the illness do not reduce disability.

How did schizophrenia get discovered?

The first, formal description of schizophrenia as a mental illness was made in 1887 by Dr. Emile Kraepelin. He used the term “dementia praecox” to describe the symptoms now known as schizophrenia. Dementia praecox means “early dementia”.

What did you learn about schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a mental illness. It causes people to lose touch with reality and sometimes makes it difficult for them to think and speak in an organized way. (This loss of touch with reality is called psychosis. Psychosis is a part of schizophrenia, but may also be seen on its own.

Why does schizophrenia happen?

The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.

How does schizophrenia impact a person’s life?

People with schizophrenia experience psychosis, which means they can have serious problems with thinking clearly, emotions, and knowing what is real and what is not. This can include hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations), and having very strange beliefs that are abnormal or not true (delusions).

Why is it important to catch schizophrenia early?

It is extremely important to treat schizophrenia as soon as possible after the onset. With delay in effective treatment, patients may be at increased risk for brain volume loss with adverse implications for long-term treatment outcomes.

When was schizophrenia discovered?

According to the Medical Research Council, the term schizophrenia is only about 100 years old. The disease was first identified as a mental illness by Dr. Emile Kraepelin in 1887 and the illness itself is generally believed to have accompanied mankind throughout history.

When was paranoid schizophrenia discovered?

The disease was first identified as a mental illness by Dr. Emile Kraepelin in 1887 and the illness itself is generally believed to have accompanied mankind throughout history.

Why does paranoid schizophrenia occur?

The exact causes are unclear, but they likely involve a combination of genetic factors and environmental triggers. Risk factors may be: Genetic: Those with a family history may have a higher risk. Medical: These may include poor nutrition before birth and some viruses.

How do theorists explain schizophrenia?

A vascular component to a theory of schizophrenia posits that the physiologic abnormalities leading to illness involve disruption of the exquisitely precise regulation of the delivery of energy and oxygen required for normal brain function.

What causes paranoia in paranoid schizophrenia?

The paranoia in paranoid schizophrenia stems from delusions—firmly held beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary — and hallucinations — seeing or hearing things that others do not. Both of these experiences can be persecutory or threatening in nature.

Who first used the term schizophrenia and when?

Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler who first used the term schizophrenia in 1911. Later Eugen Bleuler developed Krapelin’s ideas on the diagnosis of the condition and first used the term schizophrenia.

How common is paranoid schizophrenia in the US?

Paranoid Schizophrenia. These debilitating symptoms blur the line between what is real and what isn’t, making it difficult for the person to lead a typical life. Schizophrenia occurs in about 1.1 percent of the population, while paranoid schizophrenia is considered the most common subtype of this chronic disorder.

Is it possible to live a normal life with schizophrenia?

Today, schizophrenia sufferers stand a better chance than at any other time in history of leading a normal life. And thanks to the fast pace of on-going medical research, a good outcome is increasingly likely.